Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Before I came up with this healthy homemade granola bars recipe, I would spend every weekday morning yelling "you're going to miss the bus!" at the top of my lungs while my kids scrambled to find their shoes, coats and books. If they got any breakfast in at all, it was a store bought granola bar during the thirty second car ride to the bus stop. Sound familiar?

But in my mind, a store bought granola bar is worse than having nothing at all. Most of these "healthy" bars contain so many ingredients – half of which you don't recognize – that the manufacturer has to make the print so tiny you can barely even read the ingredient list. On top of that, they're usually loaded with carbohydrates and sugar. No thanks.

I set out on a mission to come up with a healthy granola bar recipe that contains fiber, protein, omega 3's, antioxidants, and uses a relatively low glycemic sweetener. The result is a delicious, chewy bar that my kids will happily eat in the morning and that I can feel good about giving them.

The beauty of a homemade granola bar is you can tailor it to your taste. Maybe swap the chocolate for dried cranberries or cherries... the possibilities are endless.

Sometimes, instead of adding salt to my mixture I like to sprinkle Maldon flaky sea salt on parchment paper and then lay the warm, freshly cut granola bars on top so the salt sticks to the bottom. The sweet and salty combination is irresistible. I usually use dark chocolate because of the health benefits, but my kids really love the peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chip combination the best.

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars 
8 bars

1 cup rolled oats, toasted
1/2 cup almonds or walnuts, finely chopped and toasted
1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice, or puffed kamut cereal
1/4 cup dark chocolate (70%), or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup creamy almond butter or peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Toast rolled oats and chopped nuts for 10-15 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix together brown rice syrup, almond butter (or peanut butter), flaxseed, vanilla and salt.

Combine rolled oats, nuts, puffed rice and chocolate. Add dry ingredients to the brown rice syrup mixture, and mix until syrup is evenly distributed. You will need to use your hands for this!

Transfer mixture to the parchment lined baking tray. Use a rolling pin to flatten the mixture to a thickness of 1/2 inch, and a bench scraper (see my top ten kitchen gadget post) to shape it into a rectangle. If you don't have a bench scraper, you can use a ruler or other object with a straight side.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (12 minutes for a chewier bar and 15 minutes for a little more crunch). Let cool for ten minutes, and then cut into bars (by pushing down, not across) while still warm and pliable with a bench scraper or knife. Use your bench scraper to push in the sides of the bars to shape if crumbly. Store in an airtight container.

Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake

What if I told you there was a one pot healthy meal that took five minutes of prep time to make... that would have your family clamoring for more, scraping the pot to get every last bit into their hungry mouths?

It's all true! Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake is my savior on those crazy nights when I am running my kids back and forth to all of their activities. I throw it together in five minutes tops, pop it into the oven and hop in the car to drive my kids around while it bakes. Did I mention this recipe only uses three main ingredients? Yes, it's the kind of recipe you would find on the back of a Campbell's Soup can, but it's oh so good...

My husband's mother, Gerry, made this dish for his family when they were growing up, and it is the dish he remembers most fondly. She used Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup and white rice, but nowadays there are a lot of healthier options.  I use Amy's or Whole Foods 365 brand Cream of Mushroom Soup and brown rice. I think she would approve.

Make sure you bake this until the creamy rice is browned and crispy around the edges. The crispier the better - this is the part that everyone attacks, and you want enough of it or it could turn ugly. Serve with a side of green beans. 

Gerry's Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake

Serves 4-5

4 whole chicken breasts, bone in

2 cups brown rice (basmati, or medium grain)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup, plus water (see below)

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse brown rice, and place in a large dutch oven or casserole dish with lid. Read package instructions for the rice to determine how much liquid is needed for cooking. Pour the two cans of soup into a large measuring cup, and add water until you have reached the amount of liquid needed for the rice (for example, I needed 2 1/2 cups of water for my 2 cups of rice. My two cans of soup measured out just under two cups, so I added water until I reached the 2 1/2 cups of liquid necessary). Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Lay the chicken breasts on top of the rice.

Cover pot, and following package instructions for the rice, cook for the amount of time indicated (usually 40-50 minutes). Uncover, and increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cook until the chicken is browned on top (you can spoon some of the liquid on top of the chicken while it's baking to help it crisp), the liquid is absorbed into the rice, and the edges of the rice are brown and crispy (depending on the type of rice, about 30 minutes or more ).

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

I'm not fancy. I like good old comfort food and lots of it. Besides, sometimes simple meals are the best. Everyone always goes crazy over this easy chicken parmigiana, and I've given out the recipe many times. My children's friends have gone home asking their mothers to make it, and I even once had an Italian grandmother ask for the recipe! It's incredibly good, but just as importantly, it's a quick and easy dinner! Truthfully, I don't even measure for this dish it's so forgiving and it always comes out tasting great but I've broken it down for you here. Your family is going to love you for this.

Serve with pasta and a salad and your done!

I used to make my own tomato sauce, but then I discovered Rao's Marinara Sauce. When it cooks down, it thickens and turns a dark red. I always try to have a case on hand. You can use a pan lid to press down the chicken as it's frying to get a more even, crispy brown coating.

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

Serves six

3 large chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 6 thin cutlets

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top

1 32 ounce jar marinara sauce

6 slices fresh mozzarella

salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper. 

In a casserole dish, approximately 12" by 8" wide, cover bottom of dish with about 1/2 " of marinara sauce. set aside.

Add about 1/8th of an inch of olive oil to the bottom of a large pan and heat over medium-high heat. Coat chicken in egg batter, then dip in the breadcrumb mixture covering breast thouroughly on both sides. Fry in the pan, adding more salt and pepper until medium brown and crispy on both sides.  Remove chicken and place in the casserole dish on top of sauce.

Add about a tablespoon more of of marinara sauce on top of each chicken breast, making sure that most of the chicken breast is showing through. Add a slice of mozzarella on each breast and then top the whole thing with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Bake until sauce is dark, thick and bubbling and cheese is starting to brown on top (start checking after 20 minutes).

Warm marinara sauce for pasta on the side.